HAPPENS NEXT FOR VERMONT YANKEE? WHEN IT CLOSES -- WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO NEW ENGLAND STATES THAT RELY ON THE ENERGY IT PRODUCES? NEWSCHANNEL 5'S DAVID CHARNS CONTINUES OUR TEAM COVERAGE LIVE FROM THE NEWSROOM. - NO POWER FROM VERMONT YANKEE HAS GONE TO VERMONT CUSTOMERS SINCE LAST YEAR. TONIGHT -- POWER UTILITIES IN OTHER STATES ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FILL THAT UPCOMING VOID. AS THERE REMAIN POSSIBILITIES FOR OUR ENERGY FUTURE. Arnie Gundersen ENGINEER the best thing to do would be as quick as possible knock this thing down and prevent any leakage into the ground NUCLEAR ENGINEER AND VERMONT YANKEE OPPONENT -- ARNIE GUNDERSEN -- SAYS DE- COMMISIONING... WILL TAKE YEARS. Arnie Gundersen ENGINEER the first five years, they can't take the nuclear fuel out of the pool, because it's physically hot ENTERGY PLANS ON HAVING THE PLANT EMPTIED AND IDLE BY 20- 20. BUT GUNDERSEN -- HAS ANOTHER IDEA. Arnie Gundersen ENGINEER in theory they could knock the whole plant down quickly and be done with it, but they don't have enough money in the bank to do that nat - car goes through gate VERMONT UTILITIES HAVEN'T BOUGHT POWER FROM ENTERGY SINCE LAST YEAR... BUT OTHER NEW ENGLAND STATES RELY YANKEE FOR POWER. Brad Ferland ENERGY PARTNERSHIP we essentially took a piece of the pie out of our portfolio, but we don't have a good plan for replacing it BRAD FERLAND OF THE VERMONT ENERGY PARTNERSHIP SAYS THE NEWS OF YANKEE'S CLOSING... PUTS PRESSURE ON THE STATES LOOKING TO MOVE TOWARD RENEWABLES. VERMONT YANKEE PRODUCES POWER AROUND THE CLOCK... NO MATTER IF THE SUN IS SHINNING OR THE WIND IS BLOWING. Brad Ferland ENERGY PARTNERSHIP they have to have predictable, reliable power. We you have intermittent power like wind or solar, they cannot rely on that 24-7 NO MATTER WHEN YANKEE IS GONE... GUNDERSEN SAYS THE VERNON SITE IS PRIMED FOR ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION. Arnie Gundersen ENGINEER remember the power lines are already there, and all the transformers are already there, so it's a logical place to consider building a power plant VERMONT LEADERS HAVE PROMISED FOR THE STATE TO BE 90-PERCENT RENEWABLE BY 20-50. EVEN WITHOUT VERMONT YANKEE -- 50- PERCENT OF THE STATE'S ELECTRICY COMES FROM NUCLEAR SOURCES. LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM, I'M DAVID CHARNS, NEWSCHANNEL 5. STAY WITH